Tuesday, 21 June 2016

DR Congo warlord Bemba jailed over war crimes

Congolese ex-rebel leader
Jean-Pierre Bemba has been jailed for 18 years following a landmark
conviction at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and
sexual violence.

Bemba was found guilty in March of crimes committed in the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR) in 2002 and 2003.
He was accused of failing to stop his rebels from killing and raping people.
Bemba's defence team have already said they will appeal against the decision.
Passing
sentence at the ICC in The Hague, Judge Sylvia Steiner said Bemba had
failed to exercise control over his private militia group sent into CAR,
where they carried out "sadistic" rapes, murders and pillaging of
"particular cruelty".
He had sent more than 1,000 fighters to CAR to help put down an attempted coup there.
Bemba's
conviction was the first time the ICC has focused on rape as a weapon
of war, and the first time a suspect had been convicted over crimes
committed by others under his command.
He had led the MLC rebel
group during DR Congo's brutal civil war and after a 2003 peace deal he
laid down his arms and joined an interim government, becoming
vice-president.